Nothing can compare to the disturbance of an alarm clock that goes off at five o’clock in the morning. But if the alarm call is the sound of a male lion roaring close to the lodge, it is one of the most exhilarating experiences ever!
Knowing the general direction of the lion, I set off to wake the guests for an early start to our morning game drive. All thanks to good fortune, I picked up on the tracks of a lioness and her two youngsters. This got the vehicle of guests very excited, everyone expecting an action packed morning. With full concentration and focus I followed the tracks and suddenly we were rewarded by the sight of the lioness walking ahead of us in the road. Soon thereafter, the youngsters made their appearance too, jumping out of the scrub, trying to scare mommy lion just a little bit. That was to no avail as the lioness simply carried on walking another 100m or so to find a comfortable spot under a Syringa tree where she decided to have a rest. We spent some time observing the little family, having a laugh at the interactions between the three of them, jumping over one another, playfully biting and scratching.
Waking up early has never been more of a pleasure than it was today!
